1. Message. I am Speculative Layout intensifies the message and the identity of the sender

Transcription

1 1. Message 1.1. Layout intensifies the message and the identity of the sender A printed product, for instance a poster, newspaper, magazine or a VDU transmits information, firstly, through the content of written texts and visualization in the form of photos, graphs and graphics. The written message and visualization are laid out on a page. Secondly, information is transmitted through the design of the page. The layout, or page plan, is designed and constructed both for the publication as a whole and for an individual story. The layout is part of the message. The main goal of visualization is (a) to intensify the message and (b) to give the medium of the message a recognizable indentity. If several different messages are presented at one time in the same make-up unit, (c) layout provides a I am Speculative 7

2 means of assigning the messages a certain sequence which will help the reader to find them in the right order. Thus, for instance, the stories placed on a page of a newspaper together form a sequence; the same applies to a poster composed of different elements or a set of related items in a newspaper. Fourthly, (d) the function of layout is to attract and keep the reader s interest. The layout of an article strengthens the message transmitted. Layout defines the category of the message - news or opinion - and gives an indication of its content. At its simplest, even the size of an item is an element which strengthens the message: if the story is given plenty of space, it is considered more important than one which is given less space. The identity of a newspaper is created in the first place by means of typography and in the second place by means of layout. By typography we mean the fonts, logos, slugs, rules, lines, frames, boxes, rasters, etc., the different components out of which the page is constructed. These elements are repeated, from day to day, in an identical or similar manner, even if varying wholes are created from these different elements. Layout on the other hand is the plan according to which stories are located on a page in order of their importance and visual values. Thus typography provides a set of tools, and layout is the final result created with those tools Disposable and durable design Continuity, Style and Balance Visual messages are used in different situations: some of the messag- 8

3 es transmitted by layout are meant for repeated use, and some of them are meant to be used once only. When they are used repeatedly, the reader will recognize a certain visual appearance as a frame for either one or several different messages. A disposable visual message is offered to him just once, but in a much more striking manner. As regards a durable layout, a subdued appearance is usually aimed at; it is also a message to the reader indicating what categories the message may belong to. With a disposable layout, a striking appearance distinguishing it from its surroundings is aimed at; the layout is then a more integral part of the message. In both cases, an elegant design is sought. For instance, the news pages of a daily paper are given a restrained design, which also emphasizes the factual basis of the news. The rapid tempo of news journalism also requires this: as the layout remains the same from day to day, efforts can be focused on the writing of the news, rather than on the make-up of the pages. The restrained design of the news pages also means that the disposable, more varied layout of the weekend pages and the visual message of the make-up of a single story stand out more clearly. This adds also to the visual rhythm of the different pages and makes the layout of the paper more lively as a whole People are part of their visual environment We live and act making observations of the world around us both consciously and subconsciously. We perceive in our environment proportion, form and colour. These form a frame of reference for ob- Once, but... strongly See the World Observe Understand 9

4 serving different visual messages. They can make one message appear pleasing and interesting, and another distasteful or dull. A successful design for messages is based on good style. Good style is achieved when the makeup of a message is compatible with its content and the occasion on which it is used. A design based on good style utilizes the various stylistic structures which emerge from, for instance, the natural environment, from different mathematical systems and proportions, or from quite abstract interpretations of the environment and inner conceptions of what constitutes a pleasing visual appearance. As regards respect for style and a natural appearance, designing a layout is a disciplined task. The work of the designer when mediating a message is often considered free in the wrong way: seen as having the freedom to do anything may lead to a result based on poorly grounded notion of what is appropriate. In this event the message of the design will not support the message of the content and will remain uncomprehended by the reader. In mediating messages, the freedom of the layout designer is restricted to the use of such visual messages as support the message of the content. In this way they assist the sender in getting his message across. The general principles of design are a result of the changes that have taken place in the visual arts at different periods: new generations have formed their own principles based on the results of the work of former generations, partly changing, partly accepting them. Designing a layout is an experiment in which the results of the work of former generations is mobilised. On the whole, layout designs tend See Feel Act! 10

5 to be very conservative: changes are minor and take place slowly in the course of time. The effect of human activities on the environment varies all the way from building elegant structures to acts of destruction; at the same time, the frame of reference which we receive from the environment is changed, which, in turn, changes our notions of visual values. Visual appearances change with the times, but they always preserve some features of the past Organization of the environment as a frame of reference for a message The environment is constructed along natural proportions. The appearance of a message is part of its environment. Natural proportions can be used in the design of a message. The Golden Mean is one of the proportions traditionally used by the visual arts. It has been held as a basic form for a harmonic design. The use of the proportions of the Golden Mean yield a naturally harmonious composition. It is generally considered pleasing to the viewer. In the Golden Mean the ratio of the shorter segment of a line, a, to the longer segment, b, is the same as the ratio of the longer segment to the whole line, the sum of a + b. Thus the formula of the Golden Mean is a : b = b : (a + b ). The value of the mathematical ratio is A parallelogram can also be formed on the basis of this ratio. If the long side of the parallelogram is 50 millimetres, the length of the shorter side will be 31 millimeters (30.9 millimeters). a b a a : b = b : (a + b) b 11

6 Optical Point Goden Mean a : b = b : (a + b) A rectangle of any shape can be divided according to the proportions of the Golden Mean. First bisect the long side of the rectangle. Secondly, extend the short side of the rectangle by a line equal in length to a-c and, thirdly, complete the triangle a-b-d. Fourthly, draw a circle with d as the centre and the line d-a as the radius, so that the circle intersects line d-b at point e. Finally, locate point f on line a-b by a circle with b-e as the radius and b as the centre. Now line a-b is divided according to the proportions of the Golden Mean, ie. the ratio of the line a-f to line f-b is equal to that of f-b to a-b. Similarily, segment a-b can be divided into two parts from one end or vertically. Thus the rectangle is divided into spaces according to the ratio of the Golden Mean. To define the Optical Point of a rectangle, first draw a diagonal from corner to corner, a-c. Next draw a circle with the shorter side a-b as the radius, which gives point e on line a-d. Then draw line b-e. The intersectional point of lines a- c and b-e is the optical centre, f, of the rectangle. In the painting The Last Supper two effects are used: perspective as well as the Golden Mean. Perspective is used to create the focus on the main character and the Golden Mean to accentuate the main group of the disciples. 12

7 When different visual elements are placed in a parallelogram in the ratio of the Golden Mean, the receiver will find the result pleasing. Further, when the main elements of a layout are placed on the boundaries of the proportions as defined by the Golden Mean, they will attract attention and divide the area into proportions which are pleasing to the viewer. The so-called optic centre is also used in the layout of a page. Its proportions differ slightly from those of the Golden Mean. By using the optic centre, a typographical point of balance is determined for the space, which can be further utilized when deciding where to place the different elements in it. In addition to the Golden Mean and the optic centre, different kinds of mathematical models are available for the division of a space. Systems based on various mathematical ratios can be created and the elements placed accordingly. Grid systems are an example of these. A grid system refers to the different kinds of vertical and horizontal sections used in a page plan, which is based on mathematical division into equal parts. The simplest example of this is the column division used in newspapers in which a page is divided, depending on its size, into eg. two to eight vertical columns. In a grid system the page is divided, in addition to the vertical columns, into horizontal columns as well. Thus a grid is created on the page, based on a ratio of the designer's choice, into which the different elements of the page - headlines, photos and text - are arranged. A mathematical system is used to achieve a result in which the page is given a proportionally precise structure Grid 9 x 12 13

8 A grid system gives a page a disciplined and clear structure and the designer a set of parameters upon which to base his arrangement of the elements. For instance, for the page of a magazine, a grid based on the formula 12 x 9 can be constructed. Let us assume a total area 180 millimetres wide and 252 millimetres high. Then the size of the smallest design space is 14 x 28 millimetres. This section can, in the extreme, be the area into which the smallest element on the page is placed, or it can be part of a larger unit, eg. the starting point of the headline. Different models are available for the design of a page. The oldest is the Golden Mean and the newest are different kinds of grid systems. Naturally, there is no basic system which could be considered the only right one - the fact that there are several different models for the division of a design space are proof of this. When organizing pieces of information on a page of a newspaper, a magazine or a VDU, the designer has to decide which system to use and how to use it to reach his goal. The advantage of using a design system is that it provides a way of giving a typographically uniform appearance for the whole publication and thus an indentity of its own. A grid and a column system also make it possible to design different kinds of page plans based on the same mathematical ratios. They make it possible to have the same column width throughout the publication, but also allow for change into a different width within the same mathematical ratio. This creates a well-structured design and makes the designer's work easier. Using the same grid system to design all the publications put out by a company helps to give them a uniform layout. 14